32nd Ward Newsletter August 28, 2026

Dear John,

Some street closures are happening this weekend around Holstein Park for the

Bucktown Arts Fest. Also, Milwaukee Avenue will be closed between Damen and Ashland on Sunday for Meet Me on Milwaukee.

Two days of local shop sales in Bucktown start tomorrow. Support local businesses by shopping at the Indie Row Bucktown Sidewalk Sale around Damen and Armitage.

Today ends the first week of back to school for local schools, and I hope all the kids had a great week getting back to class and seeing friends and teachers after summer break! Please be extra careful around all the schools and please follow all of your local school guidelines on kiss and go to keep famiies and neighbors safe as we all traverse the neighborhoods.

Have a great weekend!

Alderman Scott Waguespack

Aldermanic/Police Softball Game

Thank you to those who came to the Aldermen vs. CPD Knights softball rematch last night! While we put up a valiant effort, the Knights won the trophy this year. Thank you to everyone who donated to help kids get school supplies and access to baseball camps! Thank you also to former ward resident and player/manager Ozzie Guillen for throwing out the first pitch and hanging out with many of the kids attending the game.

September CAPS Meetings

14th Police District

1432- September 23, 6pm

Holstein Park

2200 N. Oakley

[email protected]

14th District Twitter

14th District CAPS- 312-744-1261



18th Police District

1811- September 1, 3:30pm

St. James Church

2101 N. Fremont

[email protected]

18th District Twitter

18th District CAPS- 312-742-5778

19th Police District

1921/1922- September 16, 6:30pm 

Police Auditorium

2452 W. Belmont

1931- September 22, 6:30pm 

Lathrop Advancement Center

2820 N. Leavitt

1932- September 24, 6:30pm 

Lincoln Park Library

1150 W. Fullerton

1933- September 8, 6:30pm 

Illinois Masonic Hospital

836 W. Wellington

[email protected]

19th District Twitter

19th District CAPS- 312-744-0064

Beat 1931 Beat Meeting Recap (Belmont/Ashland/River)-

The main concerns at this beat from the audience were thefts from cars in the area near Ashland and Altgeld, including one of a purse from an occupied car. The offender in this case wore all black, including a black ski mask and left in a green Lincoln. The police do have video footage of this event, but the license plates on the car come back as registered to a different car.  

The other was a shots fired case on Altgeld between Ashland and Marshfield. In this case, officers responded to a reported battery where three individuals riding bikes were confronted and assaulted by multiple suspects. The altercation escalated to physical strikes, a glass bottle attack, a cell phone robbery, and a vehicle intentionally striking one of the victims. A second vehicle attempted to strike the group, and multiple gunshots were fired at the scene, leaving one recovered shell casing at Altgeld. Officers were able to gather surveillance footage from multiple neighborhood cameras and speak with witnesses. A picture was taken of the offending vehicle's plate, but as in the item above, it came back as registered to another car. Always make sure to check and make sure that your license plates are there as it is common for them to be stolen to use on another car in a crime.  

The police also stressed the City’s camera registration program. If you have a camera pointing at the public way, you can register it with the City so that the police can contact you if a crime happens nearby to ask for the footage. They do not have direct access to your camera; they have to ask for permission to obtain any footage.

There was a concern about lack of police officers in the area. We asked for a special attention, and a police roll call was discussed. Always make sure to call 911 if you see anything suspicious, as this is one way police resources are allocated.

Beat 1434 Beat Meeting Recap (Armitage/Wood/North/Rockwell)-

There were no shootings or shots fired in this beat in the past month. There were also no robberies, which is down from two in the last period. There were eight burglaries, which is down from thirteen. Most of the burglaries were to cars, including several catalytic converter thefts. There were six auto thefts, including one that resulted in an arrest of several juveniles. There were six thefts from autos, including two license plates; always check to make sure that your plates are there as they can be used on cars in other crimes.

2026 Street Cleaning Schedule

Street cleaning season is in full swing. Sweepers will do more than one pass on the block in their initial cleaning but will not come back to clean sections outside of their officially scheduled day.

Next week, street sweeping will occur in sections 18, 19, and 20 (parts of Bucktown). Click on the map above to see your section's schedule.

Please be on the lookout for signs and make sure to move your vehicle on your scheduled day (south and east sides of the street are normally done on the first day, north and west on the second; please watch for signs).

Please take the time to help clear the curb in front of your property to keep the sewers flowing well. Any landscaping debris should be bagged and put in the alley by your trash cans. Please do not sweep landscaping debris into the street. Piles of leaves and heavy garbage also clog the sweepers and will cause significant delays. Other large objects like branches will also damage the sweepers, so please remove them from curbs. Many of our clogged drains are covered in bottles, plastic bags and heavy landscaping debris that prevents good drainage. Removing plastics from the curbs and drains also helps keep our Chicago River and Lake Michigan free of the debris.

Residents can view street sweepers in real time using the Sweeper Tracker online tool.

32nd Ward Supports Share Our Spare

Help Us Uplift Families in Need!

Our office is once again proud to partner with Share Our Spare to host a diaper drive from now through September 20, 2026. The drive helps ensure that all Chicago area kids have access to a sufficient supply of clean diapers. The facts about diaper need in Chicago are sobering:

• The National Diaper Bank Network Diaper Check 2023 survey found that 1 in 2 U.S. families with young children experience diaper need – a dramatic increase from the 1 in 3 figure from last year.
• Diaper need is the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep an infant or child clean, dry, and healthy.
• 35% of caregivers reported cutting back on food and 28% reported skipping meals to afford diapers for their children.
• Diaper need is a public health crisis! It is associated with physical, emotional, and economic harm to children and families.

Share Our Spare is on track to distribute more than 2 MILLION diapers! In order to reach this goal, they need our help to ensure they have enough diapers to meet the needs of the children they serve.

We invite you to help Share Our Spare collect one month of community sponsored diapers for the 2,000 children they provide for monthly. We will coordinate deliveries to Share our Spare. 

You can support this drive three ways!

• Purchasing diapers here!
• Bringing packages of size 3 and up diapers and/or wipes to our office at 2657 N Clybourn. Open packages of diapers are accepted!
• Making a monetary donation here to help Share Our Spare purchase diapers at cost.

The Bucktown Arts Fest is this weekend! A fest by the community, for the community – all proceeds from the volunteer-run Bucktown Arts Fest go to fund, develop, and support arts and education programming at Holstein Park and in local Bucktown/Wicker Park classrooms. 

Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend

Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend

Get ready to refresh, recharge, and feel your best during Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend!

Health & Wellness Showcase

This event is open to the public and free to attend! Explore 30+ local businesses offering free mini-treatments, exclusive giveaways, and more. Pick up a Health & Wellness Passport when you arrive for your chance to win a Health & Wellness Weekend Swag Bag!

ONE DAY ONLY: Saturday, August 29, 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Lincoln Common Plaza, 2335 N. Lincoln

Free Outdoor Workout Classes

Sign up for free outdoor workout classes on Saturday, August 29 – Sunday, August 30.



Click here to sign up for classes.

A Community Well Worth Discovering

Click flyer above for more information and to register. Registration ends August 31st.

Volunteer at Retro on Roscoe!

From September 18–20, Roscoe Village will come alive with live music, amazing food, family fun, and thousands of visitors. But none of it happens without the help of our incredible volunteers.

Retro on Roscoe is Roscoe Village Neighbors' only fundraiser of the year, and every volunteer shift helps make a lasting difference in our neighborhood. Proceeds from the festival allow Roscoe Village Neighbors to support our schools, parks, and local organizations while funding projects and programs that benefit our community year-round, including:

• Beautiful flowers throughout Roscoe Village
• Our neighborhood Clean Team that keeps our streets looking great
• Public garbage cans throughout the neighborhood
• Neighborhood Watch and security camera initiatives
• Community favorites like the Halloween Block Party and Winterfest

And so much more!

Whether you can help for a few hours on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, your time truly makes a difference.

Volunteer Perks

🎉 Free Retro on Roscoe 2026 Volunteer T-Shirt

🎉 A behind-the-scenes look at one of Chicago's favorite neighborhood festivals

🎉 The satisfaction of giving back to the community you love

We do our best to accommodate scheduling and position requests. Simply include any special requests in the "Additional Comments" section of the volunteer sign-up form.

Join our amazing volunteer team and help make Retro on Roscoe 2026 our best festival yet!

Annual Bloomingdale Trail Run

Early bird registration is now open for the annual Bloomingdale Trail Run on Saturday, September 26. This is a fun, family-friendly event with a timed 5k and 1/4-mile and 1/2-mile dashes for young runners. Click here to register.

Registration for Bike the Drive is Now Open!

Bike the Drive is Active Transportation Alliance's largest fundraiser and your once-a-year opportunity to ride your bicycle (or skate) on Dusable Lake Shore Drive! This year, it's on Sept. 6th with the lanes opening at 6:30 am. The earlier your register, the more you save!

Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit advocacy organization working to improve conditions for walking, biking, and public transit throughout Chicagoland. You can register, check out the route, and make note of where you can start by going to bikethedrive.org. SEE YOU THERE!

Click here for tickets

Join the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce at Rockwell on the River for this multi-chamber event! Network with local business owners from several different neighborhoods in a beautiful outdoor atmosphere. Featuring the musical stylings of DJ JUJU and delicious food from Soul & Smoke, this is a can’t-miss event!

Get your tickets now and enjoy early bird ticket prices through September 3rd.

Office of Emergency Management & Communications Invites Residents to Register for Fall 2026 Community Engagement Response Team (CERT) Training

The City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) invites residents to register for the Community Engagement Response Team (CERT) training program for Fall 2026. This program offers an opportunity to learn basic hands-on disaster response techniques and life-saving skills to utilize in your own homes and neighborhoods.

CERT members train for a minimum 27 hours of classroom and 3 hours hands-on practical skills in the following areas before becoming a registered volunteer:

·       Disaster preparedness

·       Fire safety & utility controls

·       Light search and rescue

·       Team organization

·       Disaster psychology

·       Terrorism response

·       Disaster medical operations

Upon completion of the class, participants have the option to become a Chicago Citizen Corps CERT volunteer and assist professional emergency services in various deployments. Past participants have played a role in emergency exercises and assisted the City of Chicago during various large-scale emergencies such as the response to COVID-19, Emergency Operations Center activations, and other natural disasters. Other special events that CERT volunteers assist in are the Chicago Air and Water Show, St. Patrick’s River Dyeing, Chicago Marathon, Summertime beach safety patrols, and more.

Residents can register here.  For additional information on emergency preparedness information, visit the OEMC website here.

Last 2026 Chicago Business Resource Expo! Aug. 29

REGISTER HERE!

Additional City Resources for You & Your Family


These services are provided free of charge to all Chicagoans.



Family & Maternal Health

CDPH WIC Clinics

Pregnant Or Recently Had A Baby?

Healthy Children, Let’s Prevent Lead Poisoning


Preventive Care & Clinics

Need a Vaccine? Immunization Clinics

Free Prostate or Breast Cancer Screening During Birthday Month

Mental Health & Wellness

Mental Health Clinics

Healing Arts Chicago


Environmental & Lifestyle Health

Check Air Quality Near You

Quit Smoking

Community & Other Services

More Services: chicago.gov/health

See a Problem on Your Block? Call 311.

311 is Chicago’s non-emergency service line. It connects you to City services for issues that affect your block, your home, or your health.

By Phone: Dial 3-1-1 from any phone in Chicago.

Online: Visit the official 311 portal

City News

• Battle Brews Over Chicago’s 2027 Budget - Alderman Scott Waguespack on #WGN's The Point
• Mayor Johnson Proposes Refinancing Bonds to Close $85.1M Budget Gap 
• Mayor Johnson Outlines Plan to Close $85M Budget Gap While Critics Question Promotional Campaign
• Johnson Announces Plan to Plug $85M Budget Gap, Again Blasts Council-Backed Spending Plan
• Cash Crunch: Mayor Rolls Out Plan to Close $85M Shortfall
• Chicago Ethics Board Hits 1 Year Without a Leader, as Executive Director Retires and Election Season Begins
• Chicago Race for Mayor 2027: Who’s Running So Far?
• Cops Defeat Chicago Alders In Softball Game: ‘We’re Going To Remember CPD Whooping Us’
• 30 Things To Do In Chicago This Weekend: House Music Festival, Taste Of Greektown And More 

Alderman Scott Waguespack

2657 North Clybourn

Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 248-1330

[email protected]